dragon lizard
- noun
- /ˈdræɡən ˈlɪzərd/
:
dragón de Komodo
- Visitors to Komodo National Park hope to catch a glimpse of a wild dragon lizard.
Examples
-
The dragon lizard is renowned for its impressive size and predatory skills.
-
Scientists studied the habitat of the dragon lizard on several Indonesian islands.
-
The dragon lizard is known for its impressive size.
-
Many tourists visit Indonesia to see the dragon lizard.
-
The dragon lizard is known to be a formidable predator, often hunting smaller animals in its territory.
-
In the wild, the dragon lizard can be found basking on rocky outcrops under the sun.
-
The dragon lizard, particularly the Komodo dragon, can weigh over 150 pounds and reach lengths of up to 10 feet.
Synonyms
5
4.4
A very large lizard from Indonesian islands that is the largest in the world
A very large lizard from Indonesian islands that can grow up to three meters long
A very large lizard that lives on some Indonesian islands, for example the Komodo dragon
Surface Forms
Morphology
dragon + lizard
The phrase is compositionally built from 'dragon' + 'lizard' and can be interpreted as a lizard that is dragon-like or notably large (e.g., Komodo dragon). There is no idiomatic or figurative shift here, and the logic (modifier + noun naming a creature) is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The name dragon lizard comes from the animal's dragon-like look: the word dragon points to an old imaginary creature and lizard to the real reptile. Because these animals are very large and can be dangerous, people used the name for the big Indonesian species, so today dragon lizard means a very large, dangerous lizard like the 'Komodo dragon'.